With “official” receipts issued on adding machine tape, is there any wonder the Auditor General estimates $47 million “in losses” at the Road Traffic Department?
While this article shows some of the maths used to arrive at these numbers total revenue for the Road Traffic Department is projected at $39.8 million when we consider 310,000 personal vehicle plates at an annual fee of $200 each, revenue should be at least $62 million. This is for personal vehicle registration alone.
Even if we assume a 25% attrition rate (vehicles off the road) revenue from personal vehicles alone should be $46.5 million. Add commercial plates, franchise fees, drivers license fees and more you begin to see the mammoth task before the Road Traffic Department in arresting this problem if they do not have the capacity to fire associates that are found with their hands (cause that amount money takes two hands to steal) in the proverbial cookie jar.
The blame game among some in the political class has commenced, but that's par for the course. Being solution driven might turn the civil service voting bloc against them when their slush fund at tax payer expense starts to slow to a trickle from an open tap.
Adding an $8 to $10 million dollar software programme is no panacea either. Do you think we can count on the system being "down" more than it will be functioning?
I’m afraid none of this is new, yet there is not enough political will to deal with this rank corruption. The beleauguered taxpayer will be forced to bear the cost yet again.
Sad indeed.
